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498th B.S. painted in the early 1944 markings
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| 501st B.S. in late '43 markings | |||
| 501st B.S. in mid '44 markings | |||
As we live and look forward to Peace, after a brutal and bloody global war, let us pause to extend tribute to those who have paid the supreme sacrifice that the Stars and Stripes might still wave over the country they loved.
In the annals of our nations history are written the deeds of its heroes, statesmen, leaders and others who have performed faithful duty that our government might survive. The men of the 498th Bombardment Squadron who gave their lives in this bitter struggle against aggression are truly heroes as great and noteworthy as any who have pledged and consecrated themselves to freedom and liberty.
They were young men. they were sons, brothers, husbands, fathers of born and unborn children and they loved life. They wanted to live. They died rather than submit themselves, their families, their children, their country to the "isms" which cast a shadow over the normal trend of living.
Let those of us who live, remember them in our future lives. Let us pay homage to them in our successes, our happiness, and enjoyment of a free and peaceful world. They gave their lives that a nation might live; let the nation live and remember, so that they will not have died in vain.
(taken from The Falcons: History of the 498th Medium Bombardment Squadron. Mullen Publishing Co.)
The 345th Air Apaches
The 345th Medium Bombardment Group, "The Air Apaches" were widely known in the Southwest Pacific theatre. Their brightly painted Falcon (498th Sqdn), Bat (499th Sqdn), Bat (500th Sqdn) and Panther (501st Sqdn) Mitchell B-25 twin engine bombers flew at low level, often at tree-top height. Converted to gun nosed B-25's, with up to 12 forward firing fifty caliber machine guns they were well respected and feared by the Japanese. Used in conjunction with the heavy firepower were parafrag bombs, bombs using parachutes to allow the bomber to move away to a safe distance before detonation.
Assigned to the 5th Air Force, the 345th entered combat on June 30, 1943 from New Guinea. Missions flown were:
Bombing/strafing airfields and installations
attacking shipping
Supporting ground forces
dropping supplies
flying courier and reconnaissance missions
| Air Force Assigned to: | 5th AF (April '43 - end of WWII) |
| Stations flown from: | Port Moresby, New Guinea |
| Dobodura, New Guinea | |
| Nadzab, New Guinea | |
| Biak | |
| Leyte | |
| Dulag, Leyte | |
| Tacloban, Leyte | |
| San Marcelino, Luzon | |
| Clark Field, Luzon | |
| IE Shima |
| Campaigns | Air Offensive, Japan |
| China Defensive | |
| New Guinea | |
| Bismarck Archipelago | |
| Western Pacific | |
| Leyte | |
| Luzon | |
| Southern Philippines | |
| China Offensive |
| Decorations: | Distinguished Unit Citation for Rabaul, New Britian Nov 2, 1943 |
| Philippine Presidential Unit Citation |
| Squadron Insignia: |  |
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| 498th B.S. | 499th B.S. | 500th B.S. | 501st B.S. |
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Data for this page was found and used from the following publications-
Interview with T/Sgt Alfred Hawkes (July 21, 1944)
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Other 345th Bomb Group Pages |
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